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Review of S. Nathan Falcon’s Eye

Book Blurb: The queen of Aundour is assassinated. The Falcon’s Eye, a talisman of great power, is sealed within the infant heir to the throne, who is exiled for her own safety.

Sixteen years later, land pirate Ava is rescued from execution by a stranger who reveals that she’s being hunted for more than her crimes. Aundour’s sworn enemy seeks the amulet hidden beneath her birthmark, and the only place where she will be safe is with her real father, the king who sent her away.

A dormant power now awakens within her, a destructive force too strong for an untrained mind to handle. But Ava never asked for magic, wealth, or even a father. All she wants is to escape the lords and liars trying to control her. When the web of evil closes in, and Aundour’s fate hangs by a thread, Ava must make a choice: her need for freedom, or the kingdom doomed to fall without her?

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Rating: Five Stars – highly recommended

Similar Authors: Brandon Sanderson, Mercedes Lackey, Robin Hobb

Review: I had a hard time putting this story down once I started reading it. I generally love an epic fantasy plot with a strong female lead character, and I found that here with Ava. She was loyal to a fault and determined to decide her own future never mind the various men around her who might be planning otherwise. She wasn’t a perfect character, but she felt authentic to me for someone who had survived everything we learn about her early years. And I definitely felt for her as she navigated the various plot twists in this book.

The setting was beautifully written. There were moments where I had to set the book aside and just imagine what was happening because S. Nathan did such a fantastic job of creating a 3D image of Ava’s world.

The prologue pulled me in and kept me thinking throughout the novel that things might not be as they seem. I wasn’t sure how it would end either which is always a great feeling as you journey with a character.

The novel is set up for a sequel, so I am anxiously awaiting the next installment of Ava’s story. I think if this first novel is any indication, S. Nathan is just going to keep getting better. I was in need of a new female epic fantasy author, and I found one!